What you need for a survival competition

A survival competition needs more than obstacles. You will also need equipment for registration, timing, judging, route marking, communication and safe water access. Plan quantities around your number of teams, the course layout and how many stations run at once. Some items, such as ropes, hay bales and water tubs, are easy to underestimate, while power, waste bins and first-aid arrangements are often left until the final week.

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What to bring

Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.

Furniture

Party tentsqty 3
Foldable tablesqty 10
Folding chairsqty 40
Registration desk
Jury tablesqty 3
Waste binsqty 8

Equipment

Walkie-talkiesqty 12
Sound system
Megaphoneqty 2
Extension cordsqty 6
Power stripsqty 4
Power banksqty 6
Stopwatchesqty 8
Speaker standsqty 2

Sports equipment

Rope laddersqty 4
Climbing ropesqty 6
Tug-of-war ropesqty 4
Cable reelsqty 3
Wooden beamsqty 8
Hay balesqty 20
Plastic cratesqty 30
Water tubsqty 6
Conesqty 40
Marker conesqty 30
Hoopsqty 12
Sandbagsqty 20
Bucketsqty 20
Tennis ballsqty 30
Wooden polesqty 30
Navigation compassesqty 20
Waterproof card sleevesqty 20
Marker tapeqty 10
Competition flagsqty 12
Bib numbersqty 100
Medal ribbonsqty 30
Medalsqty 30
Prizesqty 3
Chalkboardsqty 6
Scoreboardsqty 6
Score sheetsqty 150
Pensqty 40
Route arrowsqty 60
Barrier tapeqty 10
Herringqty 100
Rubber malletsqty 8
Work glovesqty 30
Safety helmetsqty 20
Safety vestsqty 20
Rain ponchosqty 30
Thermal labelsqty 20
Water jerry cansqty 6
Coolersqty 6
Ice cubesqty 20
Flashlightsqty 20
Headlampsqty 20
Batteriesqty 40
Cable tiesqty 200
Duct tapeqty 8
Measuring tapesqty 6
Tarpaulinsqty 8
Cone Bagsqty 8

Kitchen

Food warmersqty 4
Soup kettlesqty 2
Serving spoonsqty 6
Cutting boardsqty 4
Chef’s knives and bread knivesqty 6
Scissorsqty 4
Pliersqty 6

Tableware

Reusable cupsqty 150
Reusable platesqty 120
Reusable cutleryqty 150
Coffee potsqty 4
Soup ladlesqty 4
Serving traysqty 8

Lighting

LED light garlandsqty 8
LED construction lightsqty 6
Lanternsqty 10

Cleaning

Broom setsqty 4
Litter pickersqty 4
Buckets for cleaningqty 4
Mopsqty 4
Hand sanitizer pumpsqty 8
First aid kitsqty 2
Fire extinguishersqty 2

Catering

Groceries
- Still water - 120 liters
- Sparkling water - 24 liters
- Cola - 12 liters
- Cola Zero - 12 liters
- Orange soda - 8 liters
- Apple juice - 8 liters
- Isotonic sports drink - 20 liters
- Coffee beans - 2 kilograms
- Tea bags - 200 pieces
- Black tea - 100 tea bags
- Herbal tea - 100 bags
- Milk - 12 liters
- Oat milk - 6 liters
- Sugar - 2 kilograms
- Sweeteners - 200 pieces
- Lemon juice - 2 bottles
- Sandwiches - 250 pieces
- Whole wheat bread - 20 loaves
- White rolls - 120 pieces
- Wholegrain rolls - 80 pieces
- Sliced cheese - 5 kilograms
- Cooked ham - 4 kilograms
- Chicken breast slices - 3 kilograms
- Hummus - 2 kilograms
- Peanut butter - 2 jars
- Jam - 2 jars
- Cucumber - 15 pieces
- Tomatoes - 5 kilograms
- Lettuce - 10 heads
- Bell peppers - 3 kilograms
- Carrots - 4 kilograms
- Apples - 100 pieces
- Bananas - 80 pieces
- Grapes - 8 kilograms
- Mandarins - 80 pieces
- Muesli bars - 120 pieces
- Protein bars - 80 pieces
- Paprika chips - 10 bags
- Plain chips - 10 bags
- Salted peanuts - 4 kilograms
- Student mix - 4 kilograms
- Pretzels - 6 bags
- Vegetable stock - 10 liters
- Chicken soup - 10 liters
- Tomato soup - 10 liters
- Sandwiches - 120 pieces
- Herb butter - 2 kilograms
- Olive oil - 2 bottles
- Salt - 1 kilogram
- Pepper - 250 gram
- Paprika powder - 250 gram
- Garlic powder - 250 grams
- Mayonnaise - 3 bottles
- Ketchup - 3 bottles
- Mustard - 2 jars
- Barbecue sauce - 2 bottles
- Applesauce - 4 jars
- Vegetarian burgers - 40 pieces
- Hamburgers - 80 pieces
- Vegetarian hot dogs - 40 pieces
- Hot dogs - 80 pieces
- Potato salad - 8 kilograms
- Pasta salad - 8 kilograms
- Mixed salad - 8 kilograms
- Herb rice - 8 kilograms
- Raw vegetable platter - 8 kilogram
- Vegan sandwiches - 30 pieces
- Gluten-free rolls - 20 pieces
- Lactose-free cheese - 1 kilogram
- Vegan burgers - 20 pieces
- Vegan hot dogs - 20 pcs
- Ice cubes - 20 kilograms
- Paper napkins - 500 pieces
- Paper towels - 12 rolls
- Toilet paper - 36 rolls
- Trash bags - 100 pieces
- Compostable bags - 100 pieces
- Dish soap - 4 bottles
- All-purpose cleaner - 4 bottles
- Disinfectant wipes - 8 packs
- Hand soap - 8 bottles
- Bandages - 4 boxes
- Gauze Pads - 4 boxes
- Elastic bandages - 12 pieces
- Fever ointment - 4 tubes
- Drawing tweezers - 4 pieces
- Wound disinfectant - 4 bottles
- Disposable gloves - 4 boxes
- Sunscreen - 8 bottles
- Mosquito spray - 8 bottles

Tips

Count every active challenge before buying equipment: a station running two lanes at once may need two rope ladders, two sets of cones and duplicate timing equipment.
Allow one stopwatch for each active judging point, plus at least two spare stopwatches. Bring power banks so phones and radios can keep working throughout the competition.
Use marker cones at every turn, hazard and station entrance, then add spare cones for sections that may move after your route inspection. Keep a clear supply at registration for last-minute changes.
For water-based challenges, prepare separate water tubs and buckets for each station that operates simultaneously. Add a refill plan and place waste bins near the registration area, spectator points and finish.
Set up the registration desk, jury tables and sound equipment before competitors arrive. Test extension cords, power strips, cable reels and speaker stands at least one day beforehand rather than on the morning of the event.

Frequently asked questions

What equipment do I need for a survival competition?: You need challenge equipment such as climbing ropes, rope ladders, tug-of-war ropes, wooden beams, hay bales, crates, hoops, sandbags and water tubs. You also need cones, stopwatches, communication equipment, registration furniture, power supplies and waste bins.
How many stopwatches do I need for a survival competition?: Use one stopwatch for every judging point or timed lane that runs at the same time. Add at least two spare stopwatches so one failure does not stop the competition.
When should I buy or reserve survival competition equipment?: Reserve specialist equipment, toilets, power supply and larger furniture at least 4 weeks before the event. Buy consumables and check all equipment during the final 7 days, then test obstacles at least 1 day before competition day.
How many cones are needed for a survival competition course?: Place cones at each route turn, obstacle entrance, hazard and finish area, then keep roughly 10% extra for replacements and route changes. For a course with 40 marked points, prepare about 44 cones or more.

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